About

Every time I share my story or any part of my story I feel like I need to begin with the words: Please don’t judge me too harshly.  I know what I lived through is not good and looking back I feel ashamed that I stayed in it so long.  Maybe I should have known better.  Maybe others would never have taken what I took.  But I did not know better.  And I took what I took because it seemed better than the alternative.  In spite of my fear of what people will think of me, I am going to share my story here because I know that I am not the only one who has lived through something like this and I am not the only one who feels like they should have done better.  I am going to share it in the hopes that someone will find something they recognize in my words and know that they can come through their story like I came through mine.  I am going to share my story because I did make it through to the other side and it is a beautiful place to be, even with all the frustrating things I still get to deal with.

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I was raised in a strong faith setting and married believing my partner and I were a perfect match.  I spent many years in a progressively miserable relationship until I finally reached out for help.  Unfortunately, the help I got attempted to solve the wrong problem and things only got worse. 

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After 14 years, I made the choice to leave the relationship, in spite of the fear and sadness this caused me and my children.  I have come a long way since making that choice, I have learned that what I was living with was abuse.  I have learned that I have value and that having been abused is not something to bring me shame.  I have learned that I can be strong and that I can hold on to a faith even when it was used against me.  I hope to teach people who may be facing something similar that they can find peace and joy again, too.